Tracy Reese & Purina ONE Debut New York Fashion Week's First Cat

We are used to seeing leopard print and tiger stripes on the runway, but what about a genuine feline? Tracy Reese welcomed New York Fashion Week's first-ever kitty to the catwalk of her Fall 2013 show.

Jason DeCrow/Invision for Purina ONE/AP Images

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Jason DeCrow/Invision for Purina ONE/AP Images

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Jason DeCrow/Invision for Purina ONE/AP Images

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The hot new meow-del's name is Lily. She is a 4-year-old blue point Siamese rescue cat with a natural love for fierce fashion. It should be no surprise that Lily turned heads during the show and was later sought after by models for backstage photo ops.

Lily became fashion week's premiere pussycat thanks to Tracy Reese and her partnership with Purina ONE's True Nature of Cats movement. As part of the project, Purina ONE studied the domestic feline's closest ancestor, the African wild cat, and what they found pointed out some common misconceptions about cats.

"In learning more and more about cats, we recognized that there was a real opportunity to help cat people understand their cats more and debunk some of the misconceptions about cats," shared Nida Bockert, Purina ONE's brand director. "Some of those things are allowing your cat to have safe outdoor experiences, and one way to do that is leash-walking. We thought, what a cool opportunity in an environment where people aren't really expecting to see a cat food brand, to have people understand they can actually provide these rich experience for their cats."

Lily served as a stylish example as to how enriching your cats' lives in little ways can lead to big changes. The chic kitty stayed strikingly composed throughout her time on the runway leashed to a human model. Plus, she was the perfect pussycat complement to Reese's feline-inspired collection.

Of course, Lily had a little extra training to ensure she was safe during the show; not every feline is going to be America's Next Top Model Cat. But Bockert hopes that Lily's stunning performance encourages owners to explore their cat's true nature or perhaps motivates potential pet owners to adopt a feline furshionista of their own. As for Lily, though her debut was met with plenty of purrs and applause, there is no word on whether she plans to continue her modeling career.